Favorite time of year to hunt them?

[midwesthunter]

Not talking about opening week or last week. Wondering what is everyone's preferred time to hunt antelope?

I have hunted them in early to late Sept as well as late Oct.

Earlier hunts are hotter but weather is usually more stable, where the later hunts it can be very unpredictable.

The earlier in the season, bucks are more spread out so harder to field judge, late Sept gets you into the rutting activity, so bucks are usually easier to stalk, if they aren't running another buck off int the next county, later season hunts they tend to be herded up, which makes field judging easier, but a lot more eyes to sneak past.

For me it would probably be a late Sept hunt.

 

[Goatshoes]

I suppose it depends on my goals. If I'm having fun with friends than the first week of October. This year I will be attempting spot and stock archery so I'll be going around 8/15 in the hopes they aren't all bunched up and the bucks aren't as mobile.

 

[glass eye]

Rifle is too easy so I prefer spot & stalk archery

 

[JohnCushman]

I usually only hunt archery, and I have the most success the last week of the season. Both of my Pope and Young bucks were within the last 2 days of archery. September 15-20. I normally don't even hunt the first week. every swinging dick with a bow is out there, especially the first weekend.

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

I'd say late October. Most everyone else is off chasing deer and elk, and the antelope seem to have settled down. And for whatever reason I tend to see bigger bucks later in the season, usually after I have already killed one and am after a doe.

 

[pointingdogsrule]

Last week of September when the bucks are in full rut. Archery spot and stalk or decoys.

 

[Buffs35]

October. Finally starts to cool down.

 

[Brian in Montana]

Until last year I'd only every archery hunted them in late summer. Last year I drew a general tag, I killed one on opening day (which I believe was Oct. 3) by climbing to a high point and spotting/stalking. That was a blast. The only downside was all the road hunters in the area.

 

[kmott]

October. Finally starts to cool down.

x2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Toban204]

I suppose it depends on my goals. If I'm having fun with friends than the first week of October.

What is it you like about the first week of October? I will likely be going for the second week of October this fall and I’m wondering what it will be like around that time.

 

[wyoelkfan15]

Watching antelope in the rut with a bow in hand is one of my favorite pastimes!

 

[Goatshoes]

What is it you like about the first week of October? I will likely be going for the second week of October this fall and I’m wondering what it will be like around that time.

I suppose what I like about it is that is when all my freinds go, and there are antelope every-freaking-where and the weather is so unpredictable that its always a different hunt. Everyone is having a good time and telling lies. In my opinion, there is nothing difficult about filling an antelope tag with a rifle so its more about the comraderie. If I were going solo or with just one hunting partner than defenitely the last week of the season if it didn't conflict with a nother hunt. During the second week the crowds of people that I don't know are gone and the prarie is pretty place to be in solitude.

I don't know where you are hunting but my guess is that the second week of October is also the second week of the season, If so you will have less competition than during opening weekend and likely cooler and more unpredictable weather. Your odds of success will be just as good or better in my mind.

 

[bullbugle307]

I prefer early October if the season allows. Ive seen some bucks still rutting hard in the first two weeks of October, and a lot of people are out chasing deer by then or tagged out. All it takes is one hot doe.The craziest pronghorn fight Ive ever seen was just west of Sheep Mountain outside of Laramie right as that October snow storm that decimated the Platte River deer herd started. I think that was in 08. I'll never forget those two bucks going at it until it started snowing so hard I couldn't see them anymore. Even after that, I could still hear them crashing their horns against each other. The does they were fighting over were long gone at that point, but they didn't care. As we quickly realized it was a serious early storm and needed to high tail it home, the deer were pouring off Sheep Mountain like nothing Ive ever seen. It seemed like they're were hundreds of them coming off the west and north side of the mountain, some of them practically running as they came down. I'll never forget that day.